The foregoing plan for selecting an election committee is believed to be much superior to the Grenville plan, borrowed from parliamentary practice, which has heretofore obtained in Pennsylvania, and is prescribed by the general election law of 1839. By the latter, all the members of a committee are drawn by lot and challenge, and it may happen that all of them will be members of one political party, thus excluding all certainty of thorough investigation in the trial, as well as an impartial decision. So, too, the very extended allowance of challenge by the old plan makes it probable in any given case that the ablest members of the body upon both sides will be excluded from service on the committee, leaving the committee to be composed of weaker and less independent members. LOCAL ELECTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA UNDER REFORMED VOTING. UNDER the Pennsylvania statutes for reformed voting, just given, there have been numerous elections held within the last two or three years. From among these a few are selected to illustrate the practical working of the new plan. They are cases in which there were disturbing influences, interfering with regular party action, but yet all of which resulted in fair representation of the people. They furnish evidence of the practicability of the new plan under any combination of circumstances likely to occur, and they further prove that not only does the new plan give to every respectable interest its due representation, but it also eliminates from election contests most of the soreness and bad blood which commonly attend them. It has this latter effect, because under it there are but few beaten candidates, no party or interest usually putting up more persons to be voted for than it has votes to elect. If the subjoined cases prove that the new plan works justly and well in the turmoil and excitement of irregular or exceptional election contests, it is manifest that its operation in all ordinary cases must be still more satisfactory and complete. BLOOMSBURG TOWN ELECTION FOR COUNCILMEN: The first election held in Bloomsburg under the new plan of voting was on April 12, 1870, and the following was the result: Republicans in italic. The regular Democratic ticket had upon it the names of Koons, Eyer and Knorr, with two votes to each, and was successful, although votes were diverted from the two latter to Shive and Barkley, Democrats, originally named upon the Opposition People's ticket. For originally the People's ticket was formed with the four names upon it of Sharpless, Barton, Barkley and Shive, or two from each party. But as in the course of the voting it appeared probable that a fourth man could not be carried upon the People's ticket, there was a partial dropping of Shive and concentration upon Barkley, which accounts mostly for the ultimate disparity of votes between those two candidates. The formation of a people's ticket in the manner above mentioned, with Mendenhall for President of the Council, no doubt resulted in the election of the latter, although it was unsuccessful in defeating any of the regular candidates for Councilmen nominated by the Democratic majority in the town; but as the President is a member of the Council, the general result was exactly right as between parties, the political majority in the town having four and the minority three in the Council, representing fairly the political opinions as well as the personal preferences of the citizens. In the case of this election the new plan was subjected to a severe test by reason of irregular party action in the formation of a combined or people's ticket, but it vindicated itself in a just and proper result. The weakest candidate only upon the combined ticket was beaten, and each party obtained ultimately its appropriate measure of representation in the government of the town. A SECOND ELECTION IN BLOOMSBURG: A second election in the town for the choice of other town officers beside Councilmen, was held on the second Tuesday of October, 1870, in connection with the general election. There were to be chosen two Constables; two Assessors of taxes; two assistant Assessors; two School Directors and three Town Auditors, beside the usual officers of election for the two districts of East and West Bloomsburg, and a Justice of the Peace to fill a vacancy. Omitting the latter officers from further notice, as they were electable under former laws, we proceed to explain how those chosen under the Bloomsburg Act were voted for and elected. Each party nominated a ticket in the same form. The Democratic ticket was as follows: Constable-Martin C. Woodward, 2 votes. Assistant Assessor-Frederick C. Eyer, 2 votes. School Director-Charles W. Miller, 2 votes. Town Auditors-John B. Casey, 1 votes, B. Frank Zarr, 1 votes. The Republican ticket being arranged in the same manner, with other names, it was certain from the outset that all the candidates of both parties would be elected except one of those for Auditor. The majority would carry two Auditors and the minority but one. There was, therefore, very smooth work in the election of local officers; an absence of animosity and sharp management; no trading of votes and no necessity to struggle for a majority in order to avoid defeat and virtual disfranchisement. Each party obtained its share of the town offices by its own votes. We append the vote for the several candidates. Constables. Martin C. Woodward........... Baltzer T. Laycock...... 753 368 All the above were elected except the one lowest in vote for Auditor; the Republicans in italic. The very large vote given to Mr. Woodward for re-election as Constable was intended as a compliment to an officer of unusual merit, whose vigilance in the preservation of order in the town, and fidelity in the performance of his other duties, had attracted to him a large measure of public confidence and approval. It will be observed that at the foregoing election the ordinary political minority of the town had in fact the majority of the votes polled, as the general election which accompanied the town election at that time was not an exciting one, and there was a sluggish vote of the majority party. It is evident therefore that under the old plan of voting the party ordinarily in the minority in the town would have swept all the offices voted for except one |